Carton-folding machine



Aug. 14, 1928. 1,680,615

. A. HOBA CARTON FOLDING MACHINE File Nov 1, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ginvent MMXW Aug. 14, 1928. 1,680,615

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Huguaa Hoba Aug. 14,1928.

Filed Nov. -1, 1927 A. HOBA cmm'ou FOLDING mcnms UV pv 5 Sheets-Sheet 5fiy usr Hoba Fatented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES AUGUST HOIBA, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CARTON-FOLDING MACHINE.

Application filed November 1, 1927. Serial No. 280,865.

My invention relates to machines for folding paper cartons of the typehaving overlapping end flaps provided with complemental interlockingslot and tongue.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine which will reliablyfold such cartons at a reasonably rapid rate, leaving them in positionfor filling, and one which is cheap to build "and operate, thusespecially adapting it for places where the number of cartons to befilled will not justify a highly elaborate and, expensive machine Myinvention consists of a machine which is operable byhand, both as toplacin the carton blanks and actuating the mac ine. It is, of course,evident that power actuating connections may be applied thereto, andalso that the applicationof automatic feeding means for the blanks isnot forbidden.

My invention consists of certain novel constructions and combinations ofparts which will be hereinafter described. The

novel parts upon which I claim patent protection. will be particularlypointed out in the claims. p

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a construction in which myinvention is embodied, the same being chosen as adapted to illustratethe principles of my invention without, however, implying that myinvention is limited solely to the construction illustrated.

Figure -1 is a'front elevation of the machine with parts thereof at theleft-hand portion of the figure in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken on;

a plane extending from front to rear just forward of the center of itswidth Figure 3 is a plan view of the folding means, showing t ese inopen position.

Figure 4 is a transverse section of the foldin means in the positionoccupied when the fo ding operation has been completed. Figure 5 is alongitudinal section through one of the endflap folding wings, thisbeing on the line 55 of Figure 3. Figures (Sand 7 are sectionalelevations, viewed from the front, showing the folding mechanisms inconsecutive positions, Figure 7 being that occupied at the completionof'the fold.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are perspectives showing successive steps in theolding operation and the positions occupied by the folding membersduring such operation.

The type of cartonupon which my in-.

vention is desi ned to operate, is that which has end flaps foldingtogether to constitute the end walls and in which two flaps extendingfrom opposite side sections are provided, respectively with complementalslot and interlocking tongue entering said slot. In constructing mymachine any suitable type of supporting frame may be employed.

In general it will have a table or workin surface, as 1 which hasmounted thereon or incorporated therein the folding members.

In this table is located a recessed die or carton-receiving and foldingmember 10, of i a size corresponding with that of the folded carton. Indepth it may be a minor portion only of that of the folded carton. thefront side of this recess the table surface is raised, forming a ledgeor platform 11 upon which is placed the-front side section of the cartonwhen it is positioned for folding.

Mounted for vertically reciprocating -movement above this die or recess'1, an

Along pin 28 carried by the plunger guide rods 20,

and a rod 24 which connects the swinging end of lever 21, with anoperating treadle 25 which is pivoted at 27. A spring, as 26, may beemployed to raise these parts after their depression. Also, acounterweight 29 or its equivalent may bemounted upon an extension ofthe lever 21. s

At each end of the forming're'cess or die tions in the folding cycle tol start the upward folding of those end flaps 44 which are connectedwith the end ed es of the bottom section 4 of the carton, as t e plunger2 starts pressing the carton blank into the die. It has another functionat a later point in the cycle.

Hinged at either end of the forming die 10 is a folding win 5. Thepurpose of these is to fold over t e end flaps 46 and 48 which areconnected with respectively the 10 is an abutment,finger 3 which firstfuncrear side section 41 and the front side section 40 of the carton.The hinges .50 of these 'wings have their axes inclined somewhat to theplane of the end of the carton, as is clearly illustrated by theinclined position of the wings in Figures 3 and 8. The means illustratedfor actuating these wings are as follows: To the back of each wing ispivoted a rod 6 which is pivoted to a lever 60, the latter being pivotedat 61 and upon its other end preferably provided with roller 62 designedto reduce friction. These ends of levers 60 are engaged and depressed byengagement therewith of a head 63 carried by a vertically reciprocatingrod 64 slidable in a guide 67. The upper end of rod 64 has ahead 65which is engaged, with the carton intervening, by the plunger 2 when itis forced into the die 10 to thereby cause the levers 60 to swing andthese to swing up the folding wings 5. A spring 66 raises the rod 64.Additional springs ma be desirable to cause prompt return swing of thefolding wings.

At the rear edge of the die 10 is'a folding plate 7, pivoted at 70 tohave an end 71.projecting somewhat into the outline or area of the die.At each side of the arm or plate 7 and at the rear edge of the formingdie or recess 10, are elevations 73 extending slightly above the levelof the working surface of the table 1, these acting to start the upwardswin of the rear section 41 of the carton and o the parts connectedtherewith, before the upward swing of plate 7 begins. When the latterswings upwardly, its forwardly curved tips 72 contact with the end flaps45 to swing these and flaps 46 forwardly to where they are engaged bythe folding wings 5 to complete the fold and the tucking of the ton e 47into place. The tongue 47 has a slig t cut 49 in its forward edge whichforms a locking engagement with the walls of slot 49 to preventwithdrawal of the tongue.

The active face of folding wings 5 are of peculiar shape. That portionof the front end section lying forwardly of the rear end of the slot 49in end flap 48, is cut away or recessed to a point outwardly of itshinge which will permit the ledge 51 to extend over the upper end of theabutment fingers 3. The rear end section 52 of the acting face of wing 5slopes towards its back face which together with the angular position ofthe pivot axis 50 causes somewhat slower folding action of the flap 46than of flap 48. In consequence flap 48is folded up first so as to lieinside of flap 46.

As the plunger 2 descends the end flaps 48 are positioned so thatabutment fiangers 3 slightly press or hold outwardly that por-. tion offlaps 48 just below slots 49 while the edge or rib 51 of wing 5 forcesthat part of the same flaps above said slots inwardly,

thereby opening the slots so that as flap 46 is swung forwardly, thetongues 47 will be caused to enter the slots to a point where they lockthe two flaps together. In doing this the tongues slide over and areguided by the surfaces 52 of the rear section of folding wings 5. Thecarton is left folded, but with the top open for reception of itscontents.

If it is desired to provide the carton with a lining paper, this isplaced with the carton and is folded therewith. Guide stops of anysuitable character may be'fprovided to accurately position the carton orfolding. Such stops 8 are shown in Figure 3.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a machine for folding cartons of the e having end fla s of whichone has a slit and the other a locking tongue adapted to enter the saidslit, a reciprocating plunger about which the carton sides are folded, astationary finger at each end of the carton adapted to engage the innerface of the end flap which contains the tongue-receiving slit at a pointjust below said slit to hold the same outwardly, folding wings engagingthe outer faces of the end flaps, and means for swinging them upwardlyand inwardl to fold the end flaps, means for simi arly swinging the backside section of the carton and its attached end tuck flaps, the end flapfolding wings having an inward projection positioned to engage theslitted end flaps just above the slits therein to act in conjunctionwith the above named fingers to open said slits for the reception of thelocking tongues.

2. A carton folding machine having means for folding up the front sideflaps and their attached slitted end flaps, means for folding up theback side flaps and its attached tongue carrying end flaps,fingersengaging the inside faces of the said slitted end flaps justbelow their slits, and folding wings movable to fold down said end flapsand having projections engaging the slitted end flaps just above theirslits to thereby open said slits to receive the locking tongues of theother end flaps.

3. A carton folding machine comprising a table section having a cartonreceiving recess forming a folding die, the forward side edge thereofbeing highest to first fold the front side wall of the carton, wingshinged at the ends of said recess to swing upwardly and inwardly to foldthe end flaps, a plunger guided to reciprocate, vertically to engage anddepress the carton bottom and to also thereby fold the front and rearsides of the carton, a plunger mounted for vertical movement beneath thecarton bottom and connected with said wings to actuate them.

4. A carton folding machine comprisin a recesseddie of a sizecorresponding with t e folded carton, a carton folding plunger llDtuated by the depression'of the last named.

plunger to actuate said end folding wings.

5. In a carton folding machine, means for folding up theback and frontside sections of the carton, and those end sections of the carton whichare directly attached to the bottom section, folding wings operable in aswin ing manner to engage the interlocking end aps which are directlyconnected with tive end flaps, an abutment finger engaging the end edgesof the front and back sections of the carton to fold said flaps intoplace, said wings bein constructed and operated to swing into p ace thatone of said flaps which contains the locking slot in advance of that onewhich contains the locking tongue.

i 6. In a carton folding machine, means for folding up the back andfront side sections of the carton, and those end sections which aredirectly attached to the bottom section, folding wings hinged at eachend of the carton upon axes which are somewhat inclined to'the planeofthe folded carton end, whereby when swung upwardly one of theinterlocking end ,flaps,will be swung into place slightly in advance ofthe other.

7. In a carton folding machine, means for folding up the back and frontside sections of the carton, and those end sections which are directlyattached to the bottom section, folding wings hinged at each end of thecarton upon axes which are somewhat inclined to the plane of the foldedcarton end, in a direction which folds into place that end flap whichcontains the interlocking slot slightly in advance of the folding intoplace of the flap which contains the interlocking tongue.

8. In a machine for folding cartons having interlocking slot and tonguein respecface of that flap containin the inner face of that flap whichcontains the slot at a point just below the slot, a folding wing hingedto swing upwardly to engage said interlocking end flaps and swing theminto the plane of the carton end, said wing having a surface engagingthe outer the slot along a line extending just above the slot and beingrelatively recessed below said slot, whereby the same co-operates withthe abutment finger to open said slot for the reception of the lockingtongue.

9. In a machine for folding cartons having interlocking end flapsfolding, wings hinged at the ends of the carton to fold over theinterlocking end flaps, the folding faces of said wings when the wing isswun up being inclined away from the plane the carton end opposite therear half of the carton end, and in the forward half being recessed.back from the level of the slot downwardly, an abutment finger engagingthe inner face of the end flap containing the slot and positioned to liewithin said recess, and means for swinging the interlocking end flapcontaining the tongue after the slotcontaining flap has been folded intoposition.

10. In a machinefor folding cartons, a die member into which the cartonis folded, a reciprocating plunger adapted to enter said die to fold thecarton, folding wings at the end of the die pivoted to swing upwardly tofold the end flaps, a vertically movable plunger extending into the dierecess from below, two levers pivoted beneath the die and having endsengaged by said last named plunger to be swun thereby, t-he plungerengaged ends of said levers being 0 a len h to permit the plunger topass between t em when they have reached a predetermined angle of swing,and links connecting the other ends of said levers with the foldingwings to thereby swing them;

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 26th day of October, 1927.

AUGUST HOBA.

